Given the wave of technology and process innovation currently sweeping the construction industry, it is important to stay focused on the goals of innovation, says original-equipment manufacturer Barloworld Equipment South Africa operations executive Bongani Miya.

He explains these goals are to improve efficiency, productivity and safety for the industry and society at large.

“In navigating the range of new technology innovations in construction, it’s useful to understand not only which [ones] offer the most promise for your sector, or your business, but also how to apply these innovations in the most effective way,” he says.

Miya posits that one of the underlying innovation trends emerging in the construction industry is the acquisition of data from machines, adding that the more a client can understand about the performance of its business, the better its decisions will be.

As greater connectivity and the Internet of Things (IoT) powers the development of new technologies, the fields of data analytics, AI and machine learning are evolving and enhancing the industry’s ability to interpret this data.

Not only does greater connectivity allow for remote operation, it also drives precision.

“An operator can now know, down to a matter of millimetres, the position of their excavator bucket in relation to infrastructure, pipes and cables as well as other machinery,” he adds.

This level of machine guidance can be combined with AI and machine learning to drive efficiencies and to ensure the highest possible levels of safety.

Machine guidance also drives efficiency in that it now enables simultaneous operations that were previously impossible from safety and process perspectives.

As an example, Miya notes that, in the past, surveyors would need to be in attendance during every stage of road construction, but remote guidance minimises the need for on-site intervention.

Sustainable Business

Sustainability is fast becoming a non-negotiable for modern business and

the most effective means of minimising emissions is energy efficiency, says Miya.

Consequently, most businesses can ‘move the needle’ on sustainability simply by using the right machine for the right job and using it effectively.

Key to this effective use is condition monitoring.

IoT, remote sensors and data analytics can tell a machine owner whether a machine is fit for purpose and when an intervention is necessary to keep it performing at its best.

Miya stresses that although beneficial, technological evolution also comes with its own set of challenges.

“One of these is that the construction industry can sometimes become stuck in its ways,” he says, adding that, deciding to drive productivity through technology can be a difficult psychological adjustment for many business owners.

Another challenge is overcoming the perception that technology destroys jobs, “where in fact, technology is not about replacing people with machines, but is actually about improving productivity using the resources available”, he concludes.